TORONTO - Is there really a ballooning Snub Club of NHLers out there who have no interest in ever putting on a blue-and-white Maple Leafs uniform?

Or is it just the paranoia of a fragile fan base whose fears have been fuelled by seeing some NHLers land elsewhere despite efforts by the Leafs to woo them to the so-called Centre of the Hockey Universe?

With Toronto native David Bolland opting for a more lucrative offer from the Florida Panthers on July 1 after just one year as a Leaf, the conspiracy theories flourished. And they gained further momentum when Montreal defenceman Josh Gorges refused to waive his no-trade clause to come to Toronto, instead giving the thumbs up to a deal that sent him to the lowly Buffalo Sabres.

Gorges’ one-time Canadiens’ teammate, Mike Cammalleri, was also the source of similar scuttlebutt five years ago when the Richmond Hill native, a free agent at the time, decided to sign with the Habs, bypassing his hometown team in the process.